Thill-coupling.



A. PPLUGRADT.

PATENTED APR. 3', 1906.

THILL COUPLING.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 18. 1905.

WITNESSES avian;

UNITED STATES PATENT l FFIGE.

ALFRED PFLUGRADT, OF MILWVAUKEE, WISCONSIN, ASSIGNOR AMANDA L.PFLUGRADT, OF MILVAUKEE, WISCONSIN.

THlLL-COUPLING.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented April 3, 190 6.

To all whom, it pray concern:

Be it known that 'I, ALFRED PFLUGRADT, a citizen of the United States,residing at the city of Milwaukee, county of Milwaukee, and State ofVisconsin, have invented new and useful Improvements in Thill-Couplings,of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in thill-couplings.

The object of my invention is, among other things, first, to provide athill-coupling which is adapted to be used in connection with theordinary thill by simply inserting a retaining-pin through the eye ofthe thilliron, whereby the necessity of removing the old thill-iron orwelding new parts to them, as heretofore, is avoided; second, to providea coupling which will firmly but yieldingly hold leather or similarpackings around the retaining-pins of the thill, whereby the liabilityof the parts becoming loose and rattling is avoided, and, third, toprovide a safe efficient coupling for attaching thills provided withordinary thill-irons to carriage-axles in the most convenient manner.

The construction of my invention is explained by reference to theaccompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 represents a side view of oneof the couplings with the thill-iron attached. Fig. 2 represents a sideview of one of the thillirons of a pair of thills. Fig. 3 represents atop view of one of the thill-couplings with the thill removed. Fig. 4represents a top view of one of the thills removed from thethillcoupling. Fig. 5 represents an inside view of one of theshaft-supporting arms of the coupling, showing a transverse section ofthe coupling-pin drawn on line as w of Fig. 4. Fig. 6 represents an endview of the coupling-pin.

Like parts are identified by the same reference-figures throughout theseveral views.

the pin 7 is prevented from turning. The pin is preferably made toclosely fit the eye of the thill -iron, whereby when driven in place itwill be prevented from turning, by the said V-shaped projection and willbe held firmly in place by frictional contact with the eye. Thefastening plate 19 is provided with two bifurcated side arms 9 9, inwhich is formed the semicircular recesses 10 10 for the reception of theprotruding ends of the pin 7. To the front ends of the side bearings arepivotally connected the two semicircular clamping-plates 11 11 by thepins 12. 13 13 are packing rings, which are preferably made of leatheror other similar material, which when drawn firmly around the pin 7-will hold it securely in place and prevent it from rattling. The freeends of the semicir cular clamping-plates 11 extend rearwardly and areprovided with an operating-arm 14, the upper sides of which are providedwith a groove or depression 15 for the reception of the fastening-link16. The link 16 extends downwardly and is connected to theclamping-lever 17. The clamping-lever 17 is pivotally connected withU-shaped springs 18, while the upper ends of said U-shaped springs 18are clamped between the lower sides of the axle 1 and thefastening-plate 19 of the coupling, said fastening-plate being drawnfirmly in place against said spring by turning down the nuts 20 on thethreaded ends 21 of the clips 2.

Fig. 1 shows the semicircular clampingplates in their closed positionaround the retaining-pin7 of the thills, and said plates are heldyieldingly against the leather packings 13 by the recoil of the spring18 acting through the clamping-lever 17 and link 16. Vhen, however, itis desirous to remove the thills from the vehicle, the clamping-lever 17is thrown downwardly in a circular direction until the link 16 is thrownpast the lever-retaining pivot 22, whereby the link 16 will be releasedfrom the resilient action of the spring 18, when said link 16 may bedisengaged from the arms 14, whereby said arms may be thrown forwardlyin the position indicated in Fig. 3, when said coupling-pins may bereadily withdrawn from the couplings and the thills removed. It will beunderstood that the upper sides of the leather packings 13 are providedwith a slit 23, which will permit them to separate and the pin 7 to bereadily withdrawn therefrom. When the thills are replaced, it isnecessary simply to throw the clamping-plates 11 back into their normalposition, (shown in Fig. 1,) when they will be drawn down firmly againstthe leather packings by throwing the clamping-lever 17 back into itsnormal position. (Indicated in said Fig. 1.) When using mythill-coupling with new vehicles, it is obvious that the coupling- Iopin 7 may be formed integral with the thilliron. VVhen,however, it isdesirous to attach old thill-irons of the ordinary construction, likethat shown in Fig. 2, it is necessary simply to file a notch 6 in theside of the thill-eye 5 i 5 and to provide the thill-coupling pin 7 witha V-shaped projection 8, as previously stated, when said parts, whichare made to closely fit each other, are secured firmly together. Thebifurcated arms 9 9 are respectively provided with circular side disks24 24, which are attached to or formed integrally with the verticalsides of said'side arms and extending forwardly past the semicircularrecesses 10 10 and serve to cover up the joint between 25 the walls ofsaid recess and the couplingpin 7, while they also cover the sides ofthe joint formed between the side arms 9 9 and the clamping-plates 11,as indicated in Fig.

3, said plates serving not only to give the 0 coupling a neat andfinished appearance, but

also to prevent the sand and dust from enter ing the bearings betweenthe coupling-pin and the packings, while they also protect the jointbetween the clamping-plates 11 and the side arms, with which they arepivotally connected.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is

In a thill-coupling, the combination of a bifurcated fastening-plate,the forked ends of which are provided with semicircular recesses for thereception of the coupling-pins of a tl1ill-iron; a pair ofclampingplates pivotally connected at one of their ends with the forkedends of the fastening-plate and provided with semicircular recessesadapted to register with the recesses of the fasteningplate; annularpackings located in said semicircular recesses; a thill-iron providedwith an eye for the reception of a coupling-pin; a coupling-pin securedat its center in said eye and having its protruding ends located in saidpackings, a spring rigidly connected at one end with thefastening-plate; a clampinglever pivotally connected at one end withsaid spring and a link communicating between the clamping-lever and saidclamping-plates, all substantially as and for the purpose specified.

In testimony whereof I affiX my signature in the presence of twowitnesses.

ALFRED PFLUGRADT.

Witnesses:

JAS. B. ERWIN, EMMA MUELLER.

